True Love's Kiss
by LauraRoslinForever
Summary: Outlaw Queen Week prompt for True Love's Kiss. What happens when a curse is enacted in revenge? Can Robin save the woman he loves from herself?


**A/N: Outlaw Queen Week prompt for True Love's Kiss. It's quite angsty and a bit darker than my usual. This is a small part of a larger fic I am working on. The full story will be finished sometime this summer. **

**Enjoy.**

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"She's an evil woman." This sentiment was made in a dank, backlit cellar of a cottage had probably been uttered hundreds if not thousands of times. But this time, the recipient of the news was not daunted by the prospect. If anything, she was embolden by it.

"Trust me," Marian leaned back, putting some distance between herself and the old woman's breath. "I'm aware of what The Evil Queen is capable of. She stole my husband. He is under her curse and I must get him back."

"You understand what you're asking?" The woman leaned across the table, clearly nothing but malevolence in her tone. "She's killed more people without a second though. If she we're to ever find out it was you..."

Marian moved her drink away from her nervously. She would never drink something offered by the likes of her. "She will never know of this. No one will."

The old woman cackled evilly, swallowed convulsively, and slumped back into her chair. "You believe this will get your dear husband back?" She questioned. "Magic always comes with a price."

Marian could easily see the haunted look in the woman's old bloodshot eyes, and she had to admit the thought did not sit well with her. But she had to get Robin out from under the clutches of The Evil Queen and she hardened her expression. "I understand, and I'm willing to pay the price. So, if you want your payment, I would like what I came for."

The witch smiled evilly again and her eyes quickly scanned the room, causing Marian to wonder if someone else was in the room with them at that very moment. But the old witch nodded quickly.

"Make sure to pour it into her beverage." She hissed. "The magic will work quickly. Once she drinks it you must make haste. Don't approach her," she added quickly. "Run. Take your family and leave. She will not remember anything after The Dark Curse." Her eyes flicked around the room again before putting her hand on the table.

The old witch reached into her pocket and withdrew a small vial of the powder blue liquid Marian so desperately wanted. She dropped the vial into the outstretched hand but then clamped her hand over her wrist, pinning it to the table, not allowing her to withdraw. "I want to make sure you understand what you will be unleashing into this new realm. Are you sure this is the path you wish to choose?"

Marian had actually smirked back. "_She_ will no longer be my problem."

"That's where you're wrong, my dear. She will be _everyone's _problem" The witch released her hold and watched the vial quickly disappear into the fold of the Marian's clothes. Picking up her glass, she raised her drink in the air. "Long live The Evil Queen."

_**Ten weeks later….**_

"You're very arrogant... showing yourself uninvited into my home."

Robin forced himself not to react to the sound of her voice. It had been two and a half months since he'd heard it, and it took every control he had not to jump to his feet and sweep her into his arms. Instead, he took a bracing breath to give himself a minute before he had to speak. He wanted desperately to see her face, but considering he was pretty sure her outstretched right hand was already poised to cast a variety of spells at him and the fact that she was acting as though she still didn't know him, he remained where he stood.

With a million questions racing through his mind, he thought it best to speak from where he was until he was sure she felt safe. "I've found over the years that when dealing with someone of your reputation, a little arrogance never hurts."

"I don't suffer fools lightly, and I've found over the years that arrogance is fueled by idiocy."

This time when she spoke, she walked out from the shadows, and from the corner of his eye he could just see the tip of her nose and chin. Slowly he faced her, his pulse racing as he laid eyes on Regina for the first time in over two months. The sight of her took his breath away.

Her skin was ivory white and her hair was darker than he'd ever seen it. Her lips were painted a deep crimson and her eyes were darkly lined, making the chocolate brown appear colder than he'd ever seen them.

He blinked and before he could stop himself, he whispered her name. "Regina."

Something dangerous flashed in her eyes but disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. Her head cocked slightly to the side. "You've been watching me?"

In answer to her question, he nodded. "Every day since you drank that potion."

Regina stood at a doorway a couple feet away and motioned for him to follow her.

As soon as he reached the door, she pulled him inside, quickly closing it behind him and slamming him up against it. For a moment he was stunned and anxious by the harsh motion, but then her warm body pressing into him, her hands running through his hair, and her mouth crushing against his brought him to an entirely different realization.

And for a brief moment, he knew they shouldn't do this. He had no idea what she was thinking. No idea why she was doing this. This was definitely not the time or the place for this sort of reunion, but her single moan of frustration at his inattention had him acting otherwise. In an instant, he had his arms wrapped around her small frame, holding her tight against him as his mouth sought out hers.

She moved to the side slightly so that she was straddling his thigh, and her hands never stilled as they slid from his hair and down his chest, pulling his shirt free from his pants. Shifting her weight to her outside leg, she snaked one hand underneath his shirt and around his back while the other began to play with the clasp of his trousers. "There's something I need to tell you," she panted into his ear.

"What is it?" he groaned, trying to wrench his mind back to what she was saying.

Her hands stilled and he was once again thrust back against the wall. Only this time he was suspended there by her magic. Pulling his head back to look into her face, he felt cold sensation run down his spine just as she hissed, "Your Regina is gone."

Robin heard her laugh a second before her knee raked upwards making contact with his groin. She stepped backwards, allowing him to double over in agonizing pain, collapsing ungracefully to the floor.

"Regina, you... must... stop…" His words slurred together and his head dropped heavily to the floor.

She lowered herself until she was crouching near his head. Her eyes raked over him with nothing but pure malice. "You should have _never_ come after me." She grabbed a handful of hair and pulled his head up so he was forced to look at her. "And it's 'Your Majesty.'"

She released him, letting his head drop painfully back to the floorboards. "And tell everyone to stay far away; they know what I'm capable of."

Robin felt the pain in his heart was worse than the physical pain that was pulsing through his body. He was completely powerless to stop her. He couldn't even speak, explain, to try and talk some sense into her. Her feather-light touch was gliding over his face, and he strained his eyes to the side to at least try and catch a glimpse of her.

She patted his face and stood. He watched helplessly as she waved her hand in the air and before he disappeared in a cloud of smoke he heard her voice. "Goodbye, thief."

_**Three weeks later… **_

"Give me one good reason I shouldn't kill you right now." Her rough voice carried easily, and she turned the knife he'd been carrying slightly so that he could see it.

"Because you won't," Robin replied smoothly, ignoring her obvious attempt to intimidate him. "Because I don't think you'd want to kill the father of your child."

The corner of Regina's mouth turned downwards but she paid the comment no mind. "Why are you here?" she demanded.

He ignored her tone. "I thought I made myself clear the last time we met." He shook her head. "I can't live without you."

"Stop," Regina exclaimed. "I don't even know you and there is no way I'd ever have a child with someone as _common_ as you."

Robin narrowed his eyes at her. He knew Regina better than anyone. Even this different darker version. Her eyes scrutinizing his form showed more concern than indifference.

"Regina, if you would just listen you'll know I speak only the truth," he pleaded with her. "You just have to open your eyes to see it."

Regina's eyes flicked quickly away from his, becoming instantly colder. "You know nothing."

He slowly got to his feet. "Why haven't you killed me then?"

For a brief second confusion marred Regina's features and Robin recognized it. It was the same look he'd seen on her face in her mansion not so long ago.

"Would you prefer I kill you?" Regina snapped at him.

"No," he said, shaking his head. "No, I'm incredibly thankful it. Aren't you the least bit curious? Everything has changed. You have changed, Regina. You have so many that care about you. So many that wants you back."

Regina moved toward him, the aim of her weapon never wavering from his midsection. "You're lying, no one could want me."

"What of this, then?" He pulled up his sleeve revealing the black in that marked his wrist. If he hadn't been watching her so intently, he would've missed the flash of uncertainty, surprise, and confusion in her eyes.

Her eyes widened but she ignored his revelation. Fury washed over her as he grabbed her by the arm. She could have cursed him if she hadn't hesitated. But she didn't and that gave Robin the advantage he needed. Opening his palm he blew the dust into her face. For a moment she was startled, but soon she shook herself from her stupor. With one movement, she had the knife jammed underneath Robin's chin as she pushed him back against the wall. "What did you do!?"

"I gave you a chance!" He looked her in the eye, ignoring the weapon digging into his jaw. "I'm not letting you go."

"I don't know who you think you are, or who you think I am, but if you don't tell me what you've done to me," she pushed the knife into his neck. "You'll die."

Robin swallowed thickly. "I don't think you will." Regina was incredulous and he spoke quickly. "You could've killed me many times now and you haven't. You don't want to kill me, Regina. Not any of us. You _know_ me."

"Stop… Saying… That." She told him, as her vision started to swirl. "What… what did you do?"

Robin caught her as she slumped forward. He held her to him and kissed the top of her head. "I've got you."

_**One day later…. **_

His bed was calling and the simple act of lying down had taken priority over anything else he'd planned.

Despite the hot shower relaxing the muscles in his shoulders and neck for the first time in hours, he kept it short. Never even turning on the lights, Robin slipped into bed. Closing his eyes and completely relaxing his body for the first time in a long while, he waited.

Patience had never been her strong suit, and within minutes, she silently crossed the room and approached his side of the bed. Only when he felt her straddling him did he open his eyes.

"Regina."

The only noise in the room was the sound of their breathing. His was calm while hers was open-mouthed and heavy as though she'd been running. Moonlight shown in through the window, illuminating her stunning features as she sat over him.

"What did you do to me?" Her voice was a harsh whisper.

He was careful not to make any sudden movements and replied honestly, "I took your magic from you. Well, dulled it anyways."

Her nostrils flared in annoyance, and he hurried to finish his answer. "Can you blame me? I needed to talk to you and you don't make it easy Majesty."

"How?" she growled.

He inhaled deeply. "Pixie Dust…" he took another shallower breath, "Tinker Bell helped me with that. She misses you."

Her eyes narrowed and although her breathing had calmed, his answer seemed to have distracted her. Silence reigned as neither of them spoke; he took the opportunity to study her for a few moments. He could tell she was tired.

Her arms had relaxed slightly as her gaze swept almost drunkenly over the room. Robin knew he could easily flip her over and gain control before she had a chance to react, but that wasn't what he wanted. At least, not yet. He wanted her to trust him. Keeping his voice low he said her name.

It had barely been a whisper, but she reacted as though lightning had struck. Her features hardened and she glared down at him with refocused intensity.

Tightening his grip, he rolled, pulling Regina off balance and maintaining an acute awareness of the life inside her, straddling her, and keeping her hands pinned down above her head.

Regina yelled and bucked against him, trying to shake him off, but he tightened his hold and managed to catch her other hand as well. "Enough, Regina, _enough_!"

Robin was shouting before she finally stopped struggling against him. They were both breathing hard, and she glared up at him. It was a far cry different from the last time he'd seen her in bed bathed only in moonlight. He took a deep breath. "Stop fighting me, Regina."

"No."

"Then we're going to be staying in this position for a long time," he assured her.

With a sudden burst of power, she struggled again against the hold he still had on her hands, managing nothing but having his fingers dig deeper into her wrists. She cried out in frustration.

Robin actually chuckled although there was no humor in it. "Agree to listen to me, and I'll let you up."

Regina's look at him in that moment would have made a lesser man run screaming from the room.

He simply waited.

With a sigh of disgust, she finally relented, relaxing onto the mattress. Robin shifted his weight before he moved quickly off of her. She moved just as fast, getting to her feet on the opposite side of the bed. The face off began again.

"Let's try this again, and I'll go slowly for you," he said. "You've been cursed. That's why you can't remember anything."

"I don't _believe_ you."

He ran a hand through his hair. "Okay, how did you get here? How did we all get here? This isn't the Enchanted Forest."

"I don't know!" She spun away from him, cutting herself off. Her hands clinched into fists at her sides, but she turned her head slightly so she could look sideways at him. "Who did this to me?"

"Who cursed you?" he asked.

"Yes, of course," she spat out. "If I was _so_ different why was I cursed?"

Robin sighed. "You were cursed because of me," he clarified for her, "it's a long story." Regina's shoulders dropped slightly at the news, and Robin could've sworn he could see some of the tension she carried leaving her. He decided to explain further. "Marian, she was my wife, and for a long time I thought she was dead, but then she was brought back from the past..." At her arched eyebrow he added, "That's another story."

"But therein was the problem. Marian was my past. You and I had already begun our relationship. Our own future. I am in love with you." He watched her carefully. "And only you."

Her head snapped up and she whirled to face him. "But I don't love _you_."

He cocked his head slightly to the side. "You do, our child you carry is proof enough of that. You just don't remember."

She glared silently at him, her jaw working as though she was fighting with herself about whether or not to answer his question.

"Regina," he pushed lightly.

"I can't–" she cut herself off again and paced towards the window. She shook her head. "I can't stop thinking about you," she finally admitted. "Or about the boy. I don't know why I care."

Robin watched her silently; the moonlight near the window illuminating the way her hands shook slightly as she absently rubbed her small stomach. Her confession had just burned away the niggling feeling of doubt that had been festering in him the past four months. It didn't matter who she thought she was. His Regina was still in there.

"I know why you care," he offered, "its love, Regina."

"Love is weakness." she whispered at him, her hand dropping back to her side. "I'm so tired."

"I know the feeling." He smiled faintly. Her eyes narrowed at his hesitation, but he continued before she could question it. "I'll tell you everything you want to know. I just ask that you trust me."

Her back straightened and her chin came up. Bracing herself, she fixed him with a penetrating gaze. "Tell me."

_**Hours later….**_

With morning rays of light streaking in his room, Robin dressed quietly. He'd slept with his bedroom door cracked open, unable to completely relax in fear that Regina would slip out during the night. But he had heard nothing; he debated with himself about checking on her. If she was sleeping, the last thing he wanted to do was wake her, but the need to physically see her and reassure himself that she hadn't been an apparition of his grief-filled mind was overwhelming.

As quietly as he could, he pushed open the door her bedroom and slowly exhaled the breath he'd been holding. The covers on the bed were tossed beside her; Regina was clutching a pillow and wearing nothing save her underwear and camisole. Robin felt like he could stand there forever, watching her, but he was quite sure if she caught him doing that she might actually follow through on her threat and kill him.

"Do you always sneak into rooms you're not invited to?"

Her voice took him by surprise, and Robin almost fell forward from his perch on the door frame. He approached the bed and he stood to face her. "Ah, well I never needed an invitation."

Regina glanced at him and her nose crinkled. "You smell like forest."

He gave her a warm smile. He was uncommonly nervous with her just lying there watching him. "Can I make you some breakfast?"

She held up a hand. "Am I a prisoner here, Robin?"

He watched as she sat up. Reaching for the pillows he placed them behind her back for her to lean against, he answered, "No, you're not a prisoner Regina, but you have to stop fighting all of us."

He took her hands in his, and she gasped at the contact. Robin watched her closely and knew even though she wasn't looking at him she was definitely listening. "I take it that you've stopped calling me thief as a good sign."

She answered quietly. "Robin. That's what I call you in my…dreams. I don't know why."

"You've had…dreams about me?"

"Even before I met you that day downstairs," she admitted without looking at him. "But lately, the past three months, the dreams have become much more…vibrant."

"Almost like…memories," he suggested.

She glared at him but the storm faded quickly. "There's always been the boy there, too, in my dreams. The brown hair," she confessed quietly. "Henry."

"Your father's name," he supplied. "He's a fine lad and he loves his mother very much."

Regina took the news silently. She moved closer to him, grabbing his shirt in a white knuckled grip. "Why? Why are you doing this?"

Robin took her by the arms. His blue eyes met brown. "Because I love you. Because this happened to you because of me…" tears filled his eyes but they did not fall. "And because your son needs you and our child needs you. I promised Henry I'd bring you back to us."

"Trust me; you don't want me," she said darkly. "My past… it isn't pretty."

"We're already know if the past, Regina," he argued. "And none of that matters."

_**Three weeks later…**_

She heard the back door open and was impressed that Robin had waited as long as he had before joining her outside by her tree. She looked down at her hands where they rested on the branch, rubbing her fingers over the bark. He came to stand next to her.

Robin had always been comfortable in Regina's presence even if they were both doing nothing but just being, but now it just seemed like the air between them grew thicker with every passing minute. There was so much between them that he knew and she didn't that it made the silences heavy with expectation. After another few minutes of silence, he gave up. "I'm going to go back inside. If you need anything..."

Just as he had taken a few steps her voice broke the silence.

"Tell me about us."

Robin froze. With calmness he didn't really feel he asked, "What do you want to know?"

She gave him a sidelong look, measuring his reaction. "When did you fall in love with me?"

His hand dropped to his side and he held her gaze. "Well that's quite a story. I fell in love with you twice, actually. Once back in the Enchanted Forest and here in Storybrooke."

Regina felt emotion swell in her chest and she actually had to take a breath and look away from him before she spoke again. "Twice?" She paused, placing a hand on the swell of her stomach. "But we were never married?"

"Truth be told I was working up to that." He tilted his lips in a half smile. "We had just found out about the baby and well… I didn't want you to think it was only because of the child that I wanted to marry you."

She frowned at his answer.

He gave a weary sigh. "It was complicated once Marian returned," turning to face her he added, "and because I didn't want to overwhelm you with too much too soon."

Regina turned her back to the darkening sky and leaned against the rail facing him. Her eyes found his. "We kissed in the forest."

He blinked. "You remember?"

She shook her head. "No…I remember…dreaming about it, but I don't remember it actually taking place." She studied his face and was surprised to see him smile when she asked, "How did it happen?"

"Our first kiss?"

She nodded.

"You came to my camp, you'd just had a run in with your dead mother, and you'd had a wonderful heart to heart with Snow White," he chuckled at her dark look, "Something that you claimed bothered you immensely, but deep down I think you really enjoyed it. I was pacing a hole at my camp coming up with way to get your heart back. I hadn't seen you all day because of the Wicked Witch, and I was beginning to get worried something may have happened." He shook his head wistfully. "I remember thinking that I was just going to have to march into town, go find you, and drag you into my arms, but then there you were."

Regina's breath caught in her throat as she watched him remember.

"You came out from the darkness of the trees and you had this look of determination on your face which softened as you came closer to me. I barely managed to lower my gaze to your lips in time before I felt yours upon mine." He laughed. "I was glad you made the overture when you did." He laughed again remembering and shook his head. "You pulled away, and all I could think about was how damn beautiful you were with the color raised in your cheeks from the cold and those deep brown stunning eyes."

"I thought if you kissed me…," Robin shrugged at the Regina standing in front of him," I took you in my arms and kissed you back with all that I had."

When he stayed quiet for a moment, she realized he was finished. "And that was our first kiss?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Show me."

Robin reached forward and caressed Regina's cheek. "I've wanted to kiss you every day."

"Well you know what they say about True Love's Kiss," She breathed, as his hands swept through her hair.

He cupped her face between his hands and looked down into her eyes. He saw the loved there once again and hope filled his chest. He couldn't lose her. Not now, not ever. '_Please_, he though, _please, Regina. Come back to me_.'

Slowly and gently Robin pressed his lips to hers.

He felt the light magic. Waves of love build and then spread all around them. Desperation had him pulling back to look at her.

Regina gasped, and he watched as a thousand emotions cross her features and finally recognition reflected in her eyes.

"Robin."

At the sound of her voice, Robin and stared down at her. Regina met his gaze and for an instant he feared that she didn't recognize him. That concern was soon dispelled as she smiled. That dazzling smile that was so uniquely _hers_ and she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around him. Pulling back she whispered, "I remember."

"Oh, thank God!"

He leaned forward and kissed her. This time not so gently, and Regina moaned quietly into his mouth. Slowly when the need for breath overwhelmed them they eased out of the kiss. Foreheads touching, and biting his bottom lip, she stroked her hand down Robin's whiskered cheek. "I remember you."

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**Thoughts? **


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